The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-15
DISPLEASED WITH GROVER.
Indiana's Democratic Editors Express
DisapproVal Of CleVeland's Policy,
And They Vigorously Denounce Civii-Service
Reform as Bad Thing for Office Hungry
Democrats-Hill for President

And They Vigorously Denounce Civii-Service
Reform as Bad Thing for 0ffice-Hungry
Democrats-Hill for President.
II President Cleveland had been present at the
semi-annual meeting Of the Democratic State
Editorial Association, held in this city yester-
day, he. no doubt, would have felt that he was
without friends In Indiana The prime object
of the meeting appeared to be to score the Presi-
dent The attendance was not as large as it has
been on former occasions, and 1t is said this can
be explained by the fact that many of the edit
ors Of the State who do indorse the Presidents
civ l-service policy remained away, for the rea-
son that they knew what the purpose of the as
| ISOLATION was, and they could not give it their
Endorsement by being present.
The association met in State Auditor Rice's
Office. Those present were 81. H. Francis and
j. B. Faulkner, Michigan City Dispatch; Benja-
min Louthain, Logansport Pharos; w E Ship
| pler, Angola Herald; G. Y. Sturgis, Button
Banner; q. H. Puntenney, Rushvills Jacksonian;
Ed R. Quick, Brookville Democrat; James P.
| Apologize New Albany Ledger; Josiah Gwinn,
New Albany Public Press; Thomas H. Harrison.
Lebanon Pioneer Samuel Clark, Fountain DEM
ocrat L. M. Wade, Mount Vernon Democrat;
| NJ G. Benham, Richmond Democrat W. H.
| Russell, Frankfort Crescent; ]. B. Stoll. South
| Bend Times; W. S. Ray. Shelbyville Democrat;
John NJ Higgs, Connersville Examiner; Luther
! Short, Franklin Democrat, and F. G. Williams,
| Franklin Herald
| Harry H Francis. of the Michigan City Dis
| patch, presided. He devoted his opening speech
to Cleveland's civil-service policy and the events
that led to defeat in the last campaign. He said
that he, along with all other good Democrats.
was sorry to see the President pay SO much at
| tention to muRwumpism, but he could indorse
| the administration in all other respects. He
talked at length in regard to congressional legs-
| lation and of the multitude OF troubles the par
| ty had in this State. He criticised the editors
| for their action in the last campaign, and COM
! plimented them on the zeal they are now show
| ing.
| Following Mr.. Francis's address, officers were
elected for the ensuing year, as follows:
| observation-disclosures P. Applegate, New Albany.
Vice presdents-DanielM cDonald, Fort Wayne and
George HI. Puntenney, Rushville
Recording Secretary-Benjamin F. Louthain, Lo-
gansport.
Executive Committee-H. III. Francis John B.
| Stol W. s. Ray. w. j. Craig and Josiah dwinn.
James p Apologize read paper on the tariff
| question. He gave q history of the tariff legis
| lation from Madisons bill to the present time,
| and followed this up with dissertation on the
| present and future OF the question. He took
| medium ground. with all his leaning toward
| on the question. and held that it was not SO great
| as many supposed. It was the result of great
hberality among the masses Of the party, and
their disposition to think for themselves and not
follow bosses" He regretted that the Demo-
| Gratis not we'll drilled in discipline the
Republicans" Mr. W. H. Russell spoke, re-.
questing the Democrats to stand by the good
old low tariff"
At the opening of the afternoon session Scott
Ray, Of the Shelbyvile Democrat, delivered his
| address upon "How Best to Succeed in 1888. y
Its whole tenor was against Cleveland and his
policy. Among other things. he said:
Instead of prosecuting the needed reforms the de-
partments are frequently headed by mugwumps, who
call themselves Democrats and inspired teachers of
new Democracy. and by forced construction of an
odious law defeating the will of five millions of
people, who declared that the Offices shall be filed by
Democrats and not by the political enemies of the
administration. don't believe that the civlservice
law keeps single Republican in Offices the
rary. it has reference only to appointment and not
retention In Office but those who administer the law
construe it against Democrats. / am not ready to
yield everything in politics to those in the East Who
q F..u IN 1884. They arrogate to themselves all
honor in the premises, and ignore the laoors
Of Others and seek It, to rob the admin.
In the Of justice and Democratic success IN
1888 insist that the administration unload at once.
that we may go into the campaign unshackled, with
only friends guard and even-handed at least.
Yes, my Democratic friends of the press let's thin
them OUT let's throw them overheard let's get rid Of
the chaff and rid the party of those elements which
breed decay and political disease = q The Dem
ocratic party cannot maintain its ascendency Sc
cure victory so long the executive panders wholly
to mugwumps. and government officials cowardly
shrk their political duty. The greatest enc
my this government ever had. and the Democracy
formidable foe. 10 the spurious dogma of civil
service reform BY It's false and deceptive practices
the Democratic party degraded and forced into the
very jaws of dsintegration by law the very antithe
sis of Republican form of government. and the in
auguraton of ideas In harmony only with the
, of despotic monarches.
After extemporiznR on the fact that Cleveland
will not do as . candidate in 1883, he proceeded
to nominate Gov. David B. Hill. of New York
saying:
"oov. David B. Hill, of New York is not afraid t.
proclaim: Democrat and in the life and
because he comes up to the demands of the hour il
the important particulars | have mentioned. I'm
tainted by mugwumpery. hts nomination would as
his election and antee honest reform il
, the civil service and pure, oldfashioned, Demo
cratic administration"
There was q round of applause when Mr.. RAY
had finished his address, and it was apparent
that nearly quite all of those present Endorsed
his views. At any rate, there was no pres
, ent who had the nerve to offer word in the de
, tense of the President.
, j The committee on resolutions, of which j. B
Stoll was chairman, reported the following reso
lutions, which were unanimously adopted, with
, out being discussed:
Resolved. That the administration of the Hon
Isaac p. Gray, Governor of the State Of Indiana
meets hearty approval aud that the acting Dem
ocratic officials to be commended for the admir-
able manner in which they have conducted the affair
: of the State.
Resolved, That the Democratic Editorial Associa